Both Jesus and the prophet Jeremiah, in today's readings, stand before the tensions of an angry crowd. For Jesus it is the Jewish authorities who seek his arrest and for Jeremiah it is his former friends, turned-foes, who "are on the watch for any misstep."
At times we may feel as though our actions are being watched carefully and our mistakes counted. It can be both irritating and anxiety-provoking if we feel that our every move is noted. There is a tangible difference between being observed or supervised and being watched and scrutinized. For those who have ever been made to feel like the prisoner of another's expectations, it can take a long time to recover a sense of freedom -- in action, word and deed.
To know that the Lord sees our every action can be helpful; to remember that the Lord knows our deepest intentions and motivations can be freeing. Let us seek always to be aware of the Lord's presence to us in all of our actions. Let us seek His approval, His guidance, His will. For in choosing to seek only His desires, we will move closer to being free from concern about any other eyes which may be upon us.
"Happy is the soul that seeks only God. For she will find Him everywhere and everywhere seek what she has found!"
St. Jane de Chantal
St. Jane de Chantal
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